I had always loved masquerade balls.
There had always been something special about it to me. It was magical the way someone could slip a mask on and suddenly they had a totally new identity, slipping free of the trials and tribulations of the modern world for a night of carefree laughing and dancing, swishing skirts, numerous glasses of champagne. And if anyone deserved a release, it was me.
Unfortunately, as per usual, I didn't get it.
"Maisie, Starbucks. Now." Rita demanded, chucking her fur lined coat on the floor of her office for me to scramble down and collect. Barely balancing the files, I handed the coffee to her.
"About the ball tonight, Mr and Mrs Damon have cancelled at the last minute-"I began, but was immediately interrupted as she spat the coffee out.
"This is burning hot! Are you trying to kill me?" She shrieked as I grabbed a tissue from my pocket to wipe up the spill.
"I'm so sorry," I tried, hoisting the files further up my arm to stop them from falling, but she'd already moved on.
"You look a mess." She snapped, which was perfectly true, but only because she'd forced me to work so much overtime for her. Along with planning her masquerade ball for tonight, I was seriously stressed out. "Make sure you look better tonight."
A glimmer of hope chased my exhaustion away. Had she finally decided to invite me, after two years of running around after her, to her annual ball?
"I'll be expecting you to spend the night with the kitchen staff making sure everything is correct, and they don't poison me." Just like that, my hopes were crushed. I should have known that being a personal assistant wouldn't be like a movie - Rita would never eventually warm to me, she would never start inviting me to her events, she would never help me get a better position. I was a twenty-eight year old woman stuck in a job that was going nowhere, and I didn't even know whether I resented Rita or myself more for it.
"Yes," I answered dully, flipping the file back open. "There has been some adjustments to-"
"I don't want to hear about it, just fix it." Rita waved her hand and I left her room, hanging up her coat as I went.
My phone buzzed with a call from Lottie, and I sighed. As much as I loved my best friend, she was always pressuring me to stand up to Rita, as if that would ever happen. "Hello?" I answered.
"So? Are you going to the masquerade ball you were responsible for?"
"No." I replied flatly, rubbing my forehead. "Instead, I'm overseeing the catering, in case someone puts nuts in Rita's meal, even though I've told them a bazillion times not to."
"I had a feeling you might say that," Lottie said mysteriously. "Which is why I have a plan."
"A plan?" I questioned incredulously. "Please tell me how this plan of yours is meant to solve all my problems."
"A friend's friend knows the PA of Gideon Lee who has agreed to take you to the ball as his date." Lottie concluded triumphantly.
I frowned. "That can't be right - him and his girlfriend RSVPed months ago, and I haven't heard from them since."
"They broke up two days ago, and he can't show up to this event alone, so I've gotten you in." She explained. "You can't say no. I've already bought you an outfit, and his limo's coming to pick you up at seven."
"Well... okay." I relented. "It better be a brilliant mask, though, because if Rita discovers I'm there she will fire me, then send her next PA out to kill me."
"It'll be fine." Lottie dismissed. "Bye."
***
I still had some lingering doubts about the situation as I shimmied into my dress later that night. I had to admit, Lottie had done well on such a budget. My dress was breathtakingly beautiful, yellow at the top descending into floaty sheets of orange with fire red at the bottom. Every time I moved the fabric glistened and glittered, matching the sparkles on my elaborate full face mask.
I felt like Cinderella - all I needed now was a prince to dance with me at the ball.
I hurried down to the limo waiting outside the apartment block, momentarily wondering if my date would be prematurely judging me based on my living situation. Yes, sharing a tiny flat with Lottie wasn't ideal, but at my pay grade it was quite literally the best I could afford. Lottie always told me I should demand a pay rise from Rita, or at least get paid for the extra hours I spent that would pretty much double my salary. There was a fat chance of that.
The driver opened the limo door for me. "Thanks," I smiled. I had been privy to Rita completely ignoring those who worked tirelessly for her many a time, and even a simple expression of gratitude could go a long way in jobs like this. I slid into the seat opposite my date, rearranging the skirts of my dress as I waited patiently for him to wrap up his phone call.
"Just bloody well get it done!" I flinched as his voice rose into an angry shout before flipping the phone shut forcefully. Gideon's attention swivelled towards me, noticeably checking me out from head to toe. I couldn't stop myself from blushing, but it was from embarrassment more than anything. "Well, my idiot PA has screwed up once again." He concluded. "When I asked him for an escort, I expected her to be pretty at least."
I stared at him, completely speechless as he continued, "Your dress looks cheap, too. How much am I paying you for this?"
Flabbergasted, I summoned some wits to respond, "I'm not an escort. I was told by a friend this was a date."
He laughed harshly. "A date! I can't possibly come to this alone, so I ordered my PA to find someone to go with me. I thought it was fairly obvious what type of woman I was asking for."
My cheeks had turned from a rosy blush to full on flame red. "Sorry," I choked out, "but I'm not that type of woman. I'd better go." The limo was luckily still parked, as if waiting for the signal to go, so I felt no regrets in climbing out immediately, despite the fact Gideon Lee, a member on Rita's board of directors, was yelling after me. I stumbled out into the fresh air, my shoulders freezing. I was a fool to think anyone would ever take an interest in me, a lowly PA. I was a fool to think I could try and scam my way into the social event of the season. I was a fool to even try and make it in the cutthroat business industry.
I felt like I would never advance forward in my life - at least until the driver came out after me.
"If he sent you to come get me, tell him I won't go to the stupid ball no matter how much he pays!" I said shrilly, until the driver put a comforting hand on my arm.
"Believe me, I know how he gets." He said sympathetically. "I've been his driver for five years."
"Sorry I... I'm a mess." I admitted, before sticking my hand out. "I'm Maisie, by the way. Rita's PA at your service."
The driver shook it. "Carson. Isn't Rita his boss?"
"Rita's everyone's boss." I said bitterly.
"Well then, you must be doing something right. She's a hard woman to please, and legend has it her PA's never last more than a month."
"I've been there two years."
He shrugged. "Then you're good. She might not admit it, but I bet she'd never survive without you." He nodded at me before heading back to the limo and taking off, his words still stuck in my mind.
He was right. I had managed to keep up with the world's most unpredictable woman longer than anyone else had. Rita wasn't married; her business was her baby. As far as family and friends were concerned, I was pretty much the closest thing she had.
Which entitled me to some leverage.
I dialled her number. As soon as she picked up, I launched into my impromptu speech before she had a chance to respond, or worse, before I lost my nerve.
I demanded better pay, better hours, better everything, and above all, a guaranteed promotion in the next year. Otherwise, I would leave her, and she would be lost.
And you know what? She agreed.
I should have followed Lottie's words of wisdom long ago. I should have made those demands a year before. But it wasn't until I was wearing my dress and mask that I had the confidence to do it.
What can I say? There's something magical about masquerades.